Volunteers for NAS Whidbey environmental board wanted

Environmental issues are a hot topic surrounding Naval Air Station Whidbey Island these days.

Community members who would like to learn the facts and have a voice in restoration projects are invited to consider the NAS Whidbey Island Restoration Advisory Board. The Navy is currently looking for volunteers to join the group.

Interested community members can attend the next advisory board meeting from 5 to 7 p.m., Monday, May 15 in the NAS Whidbey Island Chiefs’ Club Ballroom, located at 1080 West Ault Field Road, Oak Harbor.

Topics of discussion at the meeting will include the State Petroleum Cleanup Program, Military Munitions Response Program and the Installation Response Program, according to the Navy.

The group will also look at more high-profile issues, such as the Navy’s testing of wells on the island for the presence of a chemical in firefighting foam, which is considered an emerging contaminant. The Navy is also looking at ways to clean up a plume of toxic chemicals that has moved from a Superfund site to Oak Harbor city limits.

The advisory group’s job is to consider the different environmental issues in the aggregate, according to a Navy spokesman.

The advisory group is a key element of the NAS Whidbey Island environmental program, according to a Navy press release. It is designated to act as a forum for open discussion and exchange of information between the Navy, representatives of government agencies and local community members.

The members attend meetings, review and comment on environmental restoration documents and serve as conduit for the flow of information to and from the community. The members also play a vital role in the environmental remediation efforts on NAS Whidbey Island, the Navy reports.

Call base Spokesman Mike Welding at 360-257-2286 or email him at michael.welding@navy.mil for details.